Pier-protector.



S. C. MAY.

,PIER PROTECTOR. y I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5, 1913.

11,092,731. l P tented Apr. 7,1914-,

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Ano/mm S. G. MAY.

PIER PROTECTOR. APrLoATIoN FILED SEPT. 5, 191s.

WITNES'SES H. J. w

Patented Apr.' 7, 1914.

SAMUEL c. May or MODESTO, CALIFORNIA.

A,Pinneno'rnc'ron.. l

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 7, 1914.

appiieation'aied semember 5,1913. serial No. 788,241.

To al? whom it mf/,z/ concerny Be it known that I, SAMUEL C. MAY, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Modesto, in the countyoi Stanislaus and State of California, have ,invented a new and ImprovedPier-Protector, of which the following is a full, clear, and venactdescription.

This invention relates to means for pro tecting bridges, piers or thelike from damage due to floating logs, iceor debris carried bycurrents'of water. l

Among .the objects, Athereto e, ofthis i11- vention is to provide ameaifls of, a" simple, reliable and permanent nat-ure adapted to besecured tenor arranged in association with a pier orthellike projectinginto or up- -wardly from a body of water, said device being so arrangedwith respect to the piernas' to float upon the surface of, the waterwhereby it will always be automatically maintained at proper elevationwith respect to said surface.

The'foregoing and other objects of the invention will hereinafter bemore fully described and claimedand illustrated in the drawings forminga 'partof this specification in which like characters of referenceindicate corresponding part-s in both the views, and 1n wh1ch y Figure 11s a `vertical section on the line.

" 1 1 of F ig. 2, showing a pier in side elevation; and Fig. 2 is atransverse section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is aperspective View of a pier provided with my improvement. A. devicemadein accordance with this invention may be of any suitable strong anddurable material and is adapted to be' fitted to any size o r form ofpier or the like to be protected thereby. i

As shown, the device comprises a pontoon-like structure indicated at l()and cornprising a preferably hollow body embracing the upstream-side oredge of the pier 11. The form'of the" pontoon or guard, as it will bei'hereinafter termed, corresponds to the general form of thev crosssection of the ier ordeviceto which it is to be applied. he exactinternal construction of the guard is immaterial so long as itconstitutes a device which will automatically be buoyed'up to a certain.elevation with respect to the surface of the Water and will be of astrong and permanent nature. The rear or downstream end of the guard ispreferably open, except as noted below, whereby'it may be easily appliedto the pier, protecting the front or upstream face or edge thereot` aswell as the sides.- V

At 12 I show one or more straps, preferably of metal, Whichvare adaptedto'be connected at their ends at 13 to the rear corners of the guard.Said connections may be in the form of hinges 13 or of such nature as 65to admit the pier within the guard and then secure the same so as toprevent displacement of the guard from its embracing-position around thepier, due either to the elements or. the pranks of mischievous or Ina-.licious persons. l

Cushloning devices shown asi in the nature of coilsprings 14 areconnecteid to the inner surface of the guard ata number of placeswhereby the impact of the guard upon the pier is relieved and damage tothe pier is prevented by the hammering or battering action of logs orother drift material in the current of Water. Each ofsaid springs is.preferably connected permanently at one 80 end as shown at l5 to theinnerwall of the guard and the other end is connected preferably toahead 16 which may be in the na.- yture of a shoe or block adapted toslide up and down the outer surface of the pier as 8.

`the guard rises lor falls With the surface of the water. f Having-'thusdescribed my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent 90 1. In a. pier protector, the combination of. a Heating guard,cushioning devices' conneeted to. the inner vertical lwall thereofadapted to bear against'the pier, and means applied to the rear end ofthe guard to prey vent separation thereof from-the pier.

2. In a pier protector, the combination of a hollow buoyant guardadapted to conform to the upstream and lateral portions gi-,thc pier, aplurality of cushioning springs connested at one end to the guard, ashoe yfor In testimony whereof I have signed 'my the otherl end of eachspring adapted to name to this specification in the presence o f glidealong the face of the pier, and a strap two subscribing witnesses.extending aerossy from one corner of the rear SAMUEL C. MAY.

.5 end of theguard'to the other and adapted to Witnesses: A

loosely embrace the rear face of the pier, A. E. WAKEFIELD,substantially as set forth. E. H.A ZIoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

